SAGINAW, MI — The newly formed Saginaw Citizens' Advisory Committee introduced itself to the public on Wednesday, Sept. 25, unveiling a mission to strengthen the connection between citizens and their police force.

The introduction was held at a meeting at Saginaw City Hall Wednesday evening. All seven members of the committee — Dawn Morrell, Fred Harvey, Ana Hildalgo, Larry Campbell, Pastor Robert Davis Jr., Tanya Welch and Tiffanny Goodman — attended, as well as Saginaw Police Chief Brian Lipe and Sgt. Reggie Williams.

Members applied for the three-year positions and then were chosen by Mayor Greg Branch and the Saginaw City Council.

“Our hope is that we build a better and stronger community,” Davis said. “It’s a lot of work. There’s some challenges we have. It’s not going to happen overnight, but we’re willing to make the changes and adjustments for us to better serve the community. I believe this is a strong team. We realize this is not a sprint, this is a marathon, and we’re prepared for what’s to come in this city.”

The committee was formed in response to the July 2012 death of Milton Hall, shot by several Saginaw police officers, Davis said.

Lipe said citizens’ lack of trust in the police department also spurred the committee’s formation.

“We’re hoping, by opening the doors to this select group of members of our community who were well chosen by the mayor, that we’ll begin to break down that barrier between us and the community and begin to build that trust back that just wasn’t there,” the chief said, adding the committee is to help the department review its policies and training methods.

“At this point, the ACLU, we know, filed a letter asking for a formal investigation into the police department. As of what we know right now, there is not an open investigation,” Lipe said. “Our belief and our goal is to treat everybody equally and fairly in the city of Saginaw, whether they are a resident or a visitor. I think this committee … is an example of our desire to do just that. We want to build that relationship that we haven’t had before.”

Lipe added that he was surprised by the ACLU’s complaint, saying that his officers are trying to curtail violent crime and are patrolling more heavily in areas where such acts are more frequent.

“As far as I’m aware, (the officers) have not been stopping people based on race or color,” he said.